Tag Archives: Yonge Eglinton Centre
New in Toronto real estate: 101 Erskine
Robyn Urback – blogTO
101 Erskine is another giant condo set to arrive at Yonge and Eglinton (unfortunately becoming known as the one without the 31st-floor cantilever pools). A Tridel project, this condo will be another uber-huge-glass-structure, climbing 32 storeys and boasting 10 signature townhomes. With units ranging from studios to two-plus-den suites, this building will be plush with fancy amenities including an infinity pool. Which, granted, is just not as cool as a cantilever pool. Here’s a closer look at 101 Erskine.
THE GOOD
Let’s face it; Yonge and Eligible is never going out of style (though I’ll concede that that neighbourhood nickname is way past its prime, and even I’m ashamed to still use it). Whether or not you believe in the prophesized soon-to-burst condo bubble, I really can’t see how you could go wrong with a long-term investment at Yonge and Eglinton. And with the area poised to receive the new LRT line (hopefully alleviating some of its God-awful 5 p.m. traffic), public transportation in and out of the community should get a little easier. A good thing for those who don’t want to spend the cost of a car to park their car at their condo.
Now, if you look past the fact that this neighbourhood is in dire need of a good grocery store (shopping at the Yonge Eglinton Centre Metro is just terrible), this area really has everything. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, cafes, and even a movie theatre all within walking distance, and while the area doesn’t have the indie appeal of, say, Ossington or Parkdale, it does offer a multitude of options. I know I’m setting myself up for crucifixion here but I don’t care–sometimes you just need an Ice Capp from Timmies. There, I said it, and I regret nothing.
Onto the actual units. I’m pleased to say that 101 Erskine seems to offer the most livable studio suites among any of the new condos I’ve seen so far. While still measly in terms of square footage, the studio layouts do include sleeping “nooks” with 6-foot-high walls and an extra closet, creating the illusion (I suppose) of a bedroom without actually having one. Perhaps it does cut down on a feeling of “openness,” but I’ve lived in a bachelor suite and I can say with conviction: no one likes to look at the pile of dirty dishes in their kitchen from their bed when they’re trying to fall asleep. Good job, Erskine.
And one last boon: big balconies and lots of light in most suites is always a plus. A diversity of floor plans (with several larger units) means this building won’t reflect a homogeny of single young professionals. Move to Richmond Street for that.
THE BAD
Yonge and Eglinton is already a cesspool of congestion. I can only imagine what it will be like in, say, five years time, when this condo, plus the thousand-or-so units at E Condos, plus Madison Condos, plus others, are occupied. Nevermind that there are already two high schools in the area and a handful of recently completed projects. Better get used to knowing absolutely no one in your neighbourhood.
As for the condo itself, 101 Erskine ails in the same ways most new condos do nowadays. In the kitchens, you have those awful appliance walls with minimal counter space. As most of the suites have been laid out, there’s barely enough room for a table and space to squeeze by. Nevermind storage for dishes, small appliances and, you know, food. Yes, Yonge and Eglinton has lots of great restaurants, but at $600 per square foot, I’m thinking some new residents might want to eat in.
I’d also be slightly wary about condo fees. Artificially low for now, upkeep for all of those bells and whistles is bound to catch up with unsuspecting infinity-pool-enthusiasts sooner or later. Speaking of, why does this condo have its own billiards room with countless nearby bars equipped with their own? And a theatre room when there’s a movie theatre a few blocks away? Convenience is one thing, but I’d much rather take a walk and pay per use, than pay monthly fees for amenities I might never use.
THE VERDICT
It’s a non-negotiable that, if you’re willing to sign on, you must love Yonge and Eglinton, whatever your reasons, and should be prepared to share your beloved area with thousands of new neighbours. But seriously, can we get another grocery store?
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
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Incoming search terms
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North Toronto
North Toronto used to be its own town, located in the northern part of the Toronto of old. The original Town of North Toronto was incorporated in 1890, when much of the area was still farmland, and annexed by the old City of Toronto in 1912.
It occupies a geographically central location within the current boundaries of the city of Toronto. It is a relatively narrow strip, centred around Yonge Street, extend from around St. Clair Avenue north to Yonge Boulevard. The core area lies between Davisville Avenue and Blythwood Road.
The old Yonge Street streetcar line was extended through North Toronto, replacing the former radial railway service. North Toronto soon emerged as a popular streetcar suburb, with the area becoming completely developed by the 1940s. The streetcar was replaced in 1954 by the Yonge subway as far as Eglinton Avenue and a trolley bus running north from there (which was replaced in turn by a subway extension in 1973). Today, North Toronto is a relatively affluent community, and very popular with young families.
The neighbourhood has had a mixed-density design for some time, but this is rapidly changing to a greater density with the construction of many new condos in the area. The southern part of the neighbourhood is densely populated, with the entire section between Yonge Street and Mount Pleasant Road south of Davisville Avenue built up with high rise apartment buildings. More recently, condo buildings have further added to this density, especially south of Merton Street. Additional condo developments have begun on Mount Pleasant Road, and the existing medium-rise dwellings southeast of Yonge and Eglinton have been joined by the Minto Quantum towers.
North Toronto and surroundings
Mount Pleasant Cemetery serves as a major green space for the southern end of the neighbourhood. South of the cemetery are trails in two ravines of the former Mud Creek and Yellow Creek, which lead to the Don River. On the north side of the cemetery is the Kay Gardner Beltline Park, a heavily-used pedestrian and cycling path on the route of a former railway line (the Belt Line Railway was a short-lived commuter route in the 1890s. It was subsequently purchased by Canadian National Railway and used for freight until service was discontinued in the 1960s). Other green spaces includes Eglinton Park just west of Yonge Street and Alexander Muir Memorial Gardens at Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue, which connects to Sherwood Ravine Park and Sunnybrook Park to the east.
North Toronto is served by north-south commercial strips on Yonge Street, Mount Pleasant Road, and Bayview Avenue, with an east-west strip on Eglinton Avenue. These offer an array of shopping and dining aimed primarily at the local market and, as with many main streets in Toronto neighbourhoods, are largely given to small, locally-owned shops in free-standing buildings.
The corner of Yonge and Eglinton features the Yonge Eglinton Centre complex, which includes a shopping mall, multiplex cinema, and both office and residential towers; and Canada Square, an office complex with a small shopping concourse and another, older multiplex. Both are connected to Eglinton subway station.
Libraries can be found on Bayview Avenue, at Yonge and Lawrence, and near Yonge and Eglinton, along with a children’s-focused library on Mount Pleasant. There are two community centres in North Toronto; Central Eglinton Community Centre, at Eglinton and Redpath, offers a wide variety of programs and services for caregivers & young children, adults. and people 50+.
North Toronto Memorial Community Centre is located at Eglinton Park (Eglinton Avenue and Oriole Parkway). What was once North America’s largest bridge club, Kate Buckman’s, was on Mount Pleasant near Eglinton for many years until its closure in 2007; the Toronto Bridge Club is on St. Clair near Yonge. The Toronto Camera Club finds its home on Mount Pleasant Road near Millwood Road.
North Toronto is composed of a number of distinct neighbourhoods. It has more recently also become synonymous with Midtown.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416−388−1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
